(VGM Challenge Category Review)
(Score is hidden as standard for all entries in the category)

I think from a purely atmospheric approach, this is probably one of the closest to the particular category theme out of all of the entries made. In an explorative JRPG 90's way, this would certainly work out as a top-down explorative part of a game's OST, perhaps the protagonist/part is going between broken islands through portal archways and interacting with either NPC's or runic arrays.

I don't have any issues really with sample choices if they're all pretty fitting together and in a VGM sense, as while they do to an extent not of course sound 'realistic' (more late 90's/early 2000's soundfont-like in some aspects), if everything else is following similar tropes, then the 'character' of the design choices as a whole works out. The general mixing for the piece is pretty alright as well, I don't have any major complaints about it. Quite nice to see someone else on NG using Alchemy, I used to use it yeeeeears back, when it was independent from Apple and available on Windows, I need to see if I can find my old installer again at some point!

Yeah, I'd say that this both works out from a standalone VGM piece under certain game styles and it's pretty close to being 'fitting' for the theme (which does bring up the whole question of what is and isn't 'fitting' for a Psuedonatural setting beyond randomness i guess haha)

Great work! I love the shift to a more dissonant feel at 0:53, it provided some really interesting contrast to the first section and really made me feel like I had just stepped into a new world!

Props on the mixing, you really did good on that to blend everything together to give it that calming atmosphere turned cursed landscape. You nailed the scenario of the title perfectly, I can see someone actually walking through a level/landscape in an open world game and suddenly the environment just begins to twist and turn into a surreal dimension.

Wow sounds really good. Very whimsical. Feels very experimental, I like that.

Very ambient and atmospheric. I agree with Everratic that you've created a great atmosphere!

I love the dichotomy between the organic sound sections (e.g. 0:00 - 0:20) and glitchy alien sections (e.g. 1:34 - 2:30), and also how they come together sometimes as well!

If I had one critique to make, it would be that your strings/orchestral sections have a lot of parallel movements which can be great at times, but I think sometimes when you overdo it, it can reveal the fake-ness of the samples, and it can also lead to a flat orchestral sound.

I really enjoyed the sound design in this as well!